| Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). The New Poetry: An Anthology. 1917. |
| |
| 343. What Tomas An Buile said in a Pub |
| | | By James Stephens |
| |
| |
| I SAW God. Do you doubt it? | |
| Do you dare to doubt it? | |
| I saw the Almighty Man. His hand | |
| Was resting on a mountain, and | |
| He looked upon the World and all about it: | 5 |
| I saw Him plainer than you see me now, | |
| You mustn’t doubt it. | |
| |
| He was not satisfied; | |
| His look was all dissatisfied. | |
| His beard swung on a wind far out of sight | 10 |
| Behind the world’s curve, and there was light | |
| Most fearful from His forehead, and He sighed, | |
| “That star went always wrong, and from the start | |
| I was dissatisfied.” | |
| |
| He lifted up His hand— | 15 |
| I say He heaved a dreadful hand | |
| Over the spinning Earth, then I said: “Stay— | |
| You must not strike it, God; I’m in the way; | |
| And I will never move from where I stand.” | |
| He said, “Dear child, I feared that you were dead,” | 20 |
| And stayed His hand. | |
| |
|
|
|
